Convention
for the Conservation of Anadromous Stocks in the North Pacific
Ocean
The Convention was signed in 1992 and entered into force in 1993.
The objective of the Convention is to promote the conservation
of anadromous stocks in the Convention Area. Contracting Parties
are Canada, Japan, the Russian Federation, and the United States.
The Convention Area covers the waters of the North Pacific Ocean
and its adjacent seas, north of 33 degrees North Latitude beyond
200-miles zones of the coastal States. Species covered by the
Convention are Chum salmon, Coho salmon, Pink salmon, Sockeye
salmon, Chinook salmon, Cherry salmon, and Steelhead trout. According
to the Convention, directed fishing for anadromous fish in the
Convention Area is prohibited. The North
Pacific Anadromous Fish Commission (NPAFC) is the executive
body of the Convention. The Parties to the Convention cooperate
in the conduct of scientific research under the NPAFC
Science Plan.

North
Pacific Marine Science Organization,
PICES
PICES is an intergovernmental scientific organization. It was
established in 1992 and its present members are Canada, People's
Republic of China, Japan, Republic of Korea, Russian Federation,
and the United States of America. The purposes of PICES are to
promote and coordinate marine research in the northern North Pacific
and adjacent seas especially northward of 30 degrees North; to
advance scientific knowledge about the ocean environment, global
weather and climate change, living resources and their ecosystems,
and the impacts of human activities; and to promote the collection
and rapid exchange of scientific information on these issues.

UN
Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific,
ESCAPWithin the Water
Resources Programme under its Environment and Natural Resources
Development Division, the UN ESCAP organizes seminars and workshops
on various issues relating to water resources, including: Water
resources assessment; Integrated water resources development and
management; Protection of water resources, water quality and aquatic
ecosystems; River basin development and management; Promotion
of infrastructure development and investment for drinking water
supply and sanitation; Water pricing and promotion of private
investment in the water sector; Water demand management, water
saving and economic use of water; and Mitigation of water-related
natural disasters, particularly flood loss reduction.

UNEP
Regional Office for Asia and the Pacific,
ROAP
Working closely with the Division of Regional Co-operation and
Representation in UNEP's Nairobi-based headquarters, the Regional
Office for Asia and the Pacific (ROAP) looks to adopt global environmental
policy to regional priorities and needs. It acts as a catalyst,
co-ordinator, facilitater and mobilizer of resources. It puts
particular emphasis on building partnerships with regional and
sub-regional intergovernmental fora, other UN agencies, national
governments, NGOs, the private sector, academic and research institutions,
and civil society, and the media. See also here.

Action
programmes, strategies and research

Northwest
Pacific Action Plan, NOWPAP
China, Japan, Russia and Korea share a common sea. This shared resource
also requires co-operative management. UNEP through its regional
seas programme is assisting the four nations in developing pollution
control and disaster response in the shared ocean environment. The
goal of NOWPAP is the wise use, development and management of the
coastal and marine environment so as to obtain the utmost long-term
benefits for the human populations of the region, while protecting
human health, ecological integrity and the region's sustainability
for future generations. As
the core center for initiating the cooperation among the countries
and regions involved for the environmental protection in the Sea
of Japan and Yellow Sea, the Northwest
Pacific Region Environmental Cooperation Center (NPEC) was
established in 1997. It became a public service corporation under
the Jpanese Environment Agency in 1998 and was also designated to
be one of the Regional Activity Centers of Northwest Pacific Action
Plan in 1999. NPEC functions as Special Monitoring and Coastal Environmental
Assessment Center for NOWPAP. See also below
- Nautilus.

UNEP
Regional Seas ProgrammeThe
Regional Seas Programme was initiated in 1974 as a global programme
implemented through regional components. The Regional Seas Programme
is UNEP's main framework in the field of the coastal and marine
environment. It includes 14 regions and three partner seas, involves
more than 140 coastal states, and focuses on sustainable development
of coastal and marine areas. Each regional action
plan is formulated according to the needs and priorities of
the region as perceived by the Governments concerned. Regional
conventions are in place for several areas. See a map
of all regional seas, and go to more information on the Black Sea,
Wider Caribbean, Mediterranean,
East Asian Seas, South Asian Seas, Eastern Africa, Kuwait Region,
North West Pacific, Red Sea And Gulf of Aden, South East Pacific,
North East Pacific, South
Pacific,Upper
South West Atlantic, andWest
and Central Africa. The UNEP Regional Seas web site also contains
information on What's
at stake, Major
threats, and Actions.

a global environmental assessment process, the GEO Process,
that is cross-sectoral and participatory. It incorporates regional
views and perceptions, and builds consensus on priority issues
and actions through dialogue among policy-makers and scientists
at regional and global levels.

GEO
outputs, in printed and electronic formats, including the GEO
Report series. This series makes periodic reviews of the state
of the world's environment, and provides guidance for decision-making
processes such as the formulation of environmental policies,
action planning and resource allocation. Other outputs include
technical reports, a
web site and a publication for young people.

Nautilus
Institute for Security and Sustainable DevelopmentA policy-oriented research and consulting organization. Nautilus
promotes international cooperation for security and ecologically
sustainable development. Programs embrace both global and regional
issues, with a focus on the Asia-Pacific region. Nautilus produces
reports, organizes seminars, and provides educational and training
services for policymakers, media, researchers and community groups.
A number of papers
on marine environment, sustainable development and environmental
cooperation in Northeast Asia can be found on the web site.

The
Sea of Okhotsk - a Large Marine Ecosystem(LME)A
Large Marine Ecosystem,
LME,
is a "region of ocean space encompassing coastal areas from
river basins and estuaries to the seaward boundary of continental
shelves and the seaward margins of coastal current systems. It is
a relatively large region characterized by distinct bathymetry,
hydrography, productivity, and trophically dependent populations."
See also Rhode Island University map
of LMEs.